System and method for automotive liability insurance verification

Abstract

A system and method for the real time verification of automobile liability insurance using multiple interconnected computer systems providing insurance verification to one or more validated users. The system utilizes user validation and indirect routing to both find and to protect the data source location. The system contains fraud prevention methods and methods of detecting system degradation. The system contains provisions to correct information discrepancies.

1 ). A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle, comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining an identifier for said vehicle;    using said identifier to obtain destination data where said insurance status information with respect to said vehicle is located;    using said destination data to request said insurance status information from said insurance company;    receiving a response from said insurance company including said insurance status information indicating the status of said vehicle.    
   
   
       2 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said identifier includes a vehicle identification number (VIN).  
   
   
       3 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said identifier includes a license plate number.  
   
   
       4 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said identifier includes a homing tag (HT).  
   
   
       5 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said identifier includes an insurance policy number.  
   
   
       6 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said destination data is located in a translation table;  
   
   
       7 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said identifier is obtained by using a barcode reader.  
   
   
       8 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said method includes the step of displaying said status information.  
   
   
       9 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said response includes a returned identifier.  
   
   
       10  A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 9 , wherein said returned identifier is compared with a local identifier.  
   
   
       11 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 10 , wherein a match between said returned identifier and said sent identifier is based on an threshold value.  
   
   
       12 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein said step of obtaining said identifier includes the step of obtaining the identifier from the owner of the vehicle or a responsible party.  
   
   
       13 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1  wherein the step of obtaining said identifier includes the step of obtaining said identifier from a database having a plurality of different identifiers.  
   
   
       14 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 1  wherein said insurance status information includes information whether said vehicle is currently insured.  
   
   
       15 ). A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle, comprising: 
 an user subsystem for obtaining an identifier for said vehicle and using said identifier to obtain an additional identifier and destination data where said insurance status information with respect to said vehicle is located;    a network interface subsystem using said destination data and said additional identifier to request said insurance status information from said insurance company;    a data server subsystems to receive said request and determine said insurance status information from said destination data and to generate a response for said network interface subsystem;    said network interface subsystem receiving a response from said insurance status information indicating the insurance status of said vehicle;    
   
   
       16 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said identifier includes a vehicle identification number (VIN).  
   
   
       17 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said identifier includes a license plate number.  
   
   
       18 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said identifier includes a homing tag (HT).  
   
   
       19 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said additional identifier includes an insurance policy number.  
   
   
       20 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said additional identifier and said destination data are located in a translation table;  
   
   
       21 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said identifier is obtained by using a barcode reader.  
   
   
       22 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said system includes a display to display said insurance status information.  
   
   
       23 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said response includes a returned identifier.  
   
   
       24  A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 23 , wherein said returned identifier is compared with a local identifier.  
   
   
       25 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 24 , wherein a match between said returned identifier and said sent identifier is based on a threshold value.  
   
   
       26 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 25 , wherein a mismatch between said returned identifier and said local identifier indicates a potentially fraudulent insurance status.  
   
   
       27 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein the step of obtaining said identifier includes the step of obtaining said identifier from a database having a plurality of different identifiers.  
   
   
       28 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said insurance status information includes whether said vehicle is currently insured.  
   
   
       29 ). A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle, comprising: 
 an user subsystem for obtaining an identifier for said vehicle and using said identifier to obtain additional identifier and destination data where said insurance status information with respect to said vehicle is located and for collecting metrics;    a network interface subsystem using said destination data to request said insurance status information from said insurance company;    a data server subsystem to receive said request and determine said insurance status information from said destination data and to generate a response for said network interface subsystem;    said network interface subsystem receiving a response from said insurance status information indicating the status of said vehicle;    an administration subsystem including a master database of identifiers for management and for communication between said user subsystem and said data server subsystem and for storing metrics received from user subsystems;    
   
   
       30 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said administration subsystem includes security management for communication between said user subsystem and said data server subsystem.  
   
   
       31 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said master database includes translation and local tables.  
   
   
       32 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said security management is performed by measuring the rate of requests from said user subsystem.  
   
   
       33 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said administration system obtains insurance query routing information from said destination data for substantially all identifiers in said master database.  
   
   
       34 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29 , wherein said administration subsystem verifies a route to said data server subsystem from said destination data by performing insurance verifications.  
   
   
       35 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said metrics include the number of successful queries to each data server subsystem, the total number of queries to each data server subsystem, the average response time, and the maximum response time from said data server subsystem.  
   
   
       36 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 33  wherein said master database includes modifications from at least one insurance company using said network interface subsystem.  
   
   
       37 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said destination data includes query routing information in said master database which is deleted to reflect a policy cancellation from said insurance company.  
   
   
       38 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said destination data includes routing information in said master database which is created to reflect a policy creation from said insurance company.  
   
   
       39 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 29  wherein said destination data includes routing information in said master database which is updated to reflect a policy renewal from said insurance company.  
   
   
       40 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 36  wherein said modifications to said master database are stored in a policy cancellation list with timestamps.  
   
   
       41 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 40  where after a predetermined time period said stored policy cancellation list is compared against a policy creation list in said master database to indicate a cancelled policy with no corresponding created policy.  
   
   
       42 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 11 , wherein a mismatch between said returned identifier and said sent identifier indicates a potential fraudulent insurance status.  
   
   
       43 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 10 , wherein said returned and sent identifiers include the vehicle identification number.  
   
   
       44 ) A method for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 10 , wherein said returned and local identifiers include a unique assigned value.  
   
   
       45 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15  where said system includes an application programming interface to allow the user subsystem to interact with an external system including a state vehicle registration database for insurance status verification of substantially all the vehicles included in the that vehicle registration database.  
   
   
       46 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 15 , wherein said user subsystem includes a local table including said insurance status.  
   
   
       47 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 45 , wherein said application programming interface performs an insurance verification for each entry in the external system containing the state vehicle registration database.  
   
   
       48 ) A system for determining insurance status information for a vehicle as in  claim 25 , wherein a mismatch between said returned identifier and said local identifier results in an identifier update message containing the local identifier being sent to said insurance company.